Congress today alleged that an "atmosphere of fear" was being created over the controversy involving a top school in Delhi which allegedly asked teachers and students to take BJP membership, and expressed its strong disapproval.
"There is a certain fear across the length and breadth of the country that if you do not become member of the BJP, your organisation will be targeted, that seems to be the atmosphere that is building up.
"In Chhattisgarh also, the state government encourages the employees to join BJP or its allied organisations. Likewise, Ryan International is encouraging its students and staff to go out there and join the BJP. This is what happens when an atmosphere of fear is developed," party spokesperson Rajeev Gowday said at the AICC briefing.
He said that it was something that must be condemned and ensured that educational institutions remain free of these kinds of political involvement or in no way to interfere with the rights of the citizen and the students.
"They should be allowed to make their own political choice rather than overtly pressured into becoming the member of the BJP. We condemn this strongly," he said.
Congress' student wing NSUI saw "abuse of power" behind the controversy.
"We feel that learning environment, especially in schools, should be free from political interference of any kind. We won't allow any such element to play with the impressionable young minds of our country.
"This has made a mockery of our educational institutions. We demand a public apology from the management of the school and would also like to ask the BJP if this is their official strategy to infiltrate into educational institutions," NSUI spokesperson Amrish Ranjan Pandey said in release.
Delhi Government today slapped a show cause notice to the school and ordered a probe against it following reports that its management had asked teachers and students to take membership of BJP.
The action against the school, which has campuses in Vasant Kunj, Rohini and Mayur Vihar, came following direction by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia who also holds the Education portfolio.
The school allegedly asked its staff including teachers and students to take membership of BJP.
When contacted, senior executive at Ryan International's head-office in Mumbai, Niti Srinivasan said, "no drive asking students and teachers to join BJP was initiated in any of the group's schools."
Srinivasan, however, added that the schools had only supported government's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
